The first thing she learned is that her daughter’s disease--a rare metabolic disorder called Sanfilippo syndrome--had been discovered in 1963. Relief that the disease had been documented was followed by shock: Nearly a half century had elapsed, and the treatment options were practically non-existent.

Karen’s not a doctor, so she couldn’t create a treatment on her own. Instead, she set to work doing two tasks familiar to anyone who’s ever started a business. She used Ornella’s story to raise money for research, and she reached out to people who knew the disease backwards and forwards. Then she brought those two resources together and created the first ever gene therapy for the disease that was destroying her daughter’s body.

Eleven years later, Lysogene is preparing another round of clinical trials, Karen is hopeful that they’re on the right track, and Ornella is still alive. All because someone told Karen Aiach that what she wanted to do was impossible.

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At Freethink you'll find inspiring stories from the frontiers of our rapidly-changing world. Each week we release powerful, short-form videos, profiling an innovator, entrepreneur or activist who is thinking differently and making a difference.